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Our Easter celebration is the hallmark of Christian Faith. Without the resurrection there is absolutely nothing to celebrate. Jesus’ resurrection proves that He has power over death and His power brings us the power of living a resurrected life. This fact cannot be preached, taught, or celebrated enough! There is so much to try and teach and celebrate about Easter but, I want to take you on a biblical journey to see what happens to you when you die. This is a quick trip so I am praying that you will listen carefully, hear with accuracy, and retain with understanding. I know this is going to be a lot of information in a short frame of time and there are many scriptures and points that I have left out for the sake of time so for better understanding I am planning to expand upon this teaching for two Sunday nights during the summer.
Let’s look a little deeper into how Jesus Christ’s resurrection affects God’s plan for us after we die. Scripture tells us that after Jesus’ death on the cross that His body was placed in a new tomb. We call anyplace that a body is placed whether it is in the ground, or in a rock wall, the Grave. The same thing is done with our bodies when we die...our bodies are put in the ground, or cremated and put into an urn and we call it the grave. It is not difficult to figure out where the body goes...but what happens to our understanding? Does it just go away? What happens to our minds and our souls after we die? Where does each one go? The things I share with you may seem a little scattered at first, but they will all come into focus as we go.
Read John 20:1-18. When Mary finally recognized Jesus she held onto Him. Jesus said to her Mary, “stop clinging to me for I have not yet ascended to my Father” (John 20:17). Perhaps this would make a little more sense to you if you remembered that Matthew 28:9 says that she, “fell down ... held onto feet”. I think I would have been like her ... I would have grabbed hold of Him and would not have wanted to let go! This encounter with the women is the first appearance of Christ after His resurrection. The scripture here says that is was early morning. About 12 hours later (John says at evening) Jesus appears to the disciples back in Galilee as He had told the Marys He would. At that time He tells them something different than what He told Mary. He says “It’s me, look at me, touch me ... feed me”. What has changed? Why can they now hold to him and touch him? Because at this point He has taken care of what He came to do. After He appeared to Mary the mother of Jesus and Mary Magdaline He ascended to the Father, remember that He said, “I will ascend unto my Father and your Father and to My God and your God.” (John 20:17). Apparently Jesus had some business to take care of in Heaven with the Father, but what did He do? He presented his blood at the throne of God! His blood was poured out upon the judgment seat...and it was converted into the Mercy Seat! His blood (that was shed for you and me)...is still there! We will see it spilled there when we arrive and I believe that it will be there for all eternity as a testimony of the price He paid for my sin and the sin of the world.
As a result of Jesus’ obedient life, death, resurrection and ascension to heaven all of those who believe in Him and accept His payment for their sin, all the redeemed of all the ages now have access to heaven and to our Heavenly Father. That is why Jesus had to make a trip to Heaven, (John 20:17 again) “But I will ascend unto my Father and your Father and to My God and your God.” Don’t you love the way He said it? “My God and Your God...My Father...Your Father”! Before this time if anyone wanted to go to the Father they had to go through a priest. Even after a believer died that believer still could not go directly to God because the way had not been made ready for them to go, not even the big time leader guys and saints from the Old Testament! Jesus said so in John 14:6 ...“No one comes to the Father, but by Me.”
I. The Very Beginning
To help clarify some things lets go back to the very beginning of recorded time. Isaiah 14:12-15 tells us that Satan was cast out of heaven because of his pride, rebellion, and selfish ambition. Because of this God prepared the lake of fire for Satan and those with him. Take notice that the Word of God never says it was prepared for man ... it was prepared for the rebellious angels. The sad thing is all mankind that rebels against God’s way will be sent there too. It was not God’s plan, but it is His provision for those who rebel against Him.
Let’s skip forward in time to God’s next creation. God created Adam & Eve and they lived in the perfect garden that God created for them and He gave them everything they needed and He protected them from death. That is what the Tree of Life was for. But Adam and Eve messed that up; their sin of rebellion ruined the perfect set up. Satan deceived them and because they sinned (disobeyed God) they were cast out of the garden and they were separated from God, from His garden, and from the Tree of Life ... thus now they would be facing double death. They would experience spiritual death which is separation from God and physical death which is the separation of their spirit from their body. You may remember that the first person to physically die was Abel. He was killed in hateful envy by his brother Cain. So being the first person to die ... what happened to Abel? His body went to the grave (earth). But, what happened to Abel’s righteous soul, conscience, and mind? Well to keep things straight I am going to come back to that a little later. For now suffice it to say that he went to where all the righteous dead (obedient believers) would go until Jesus cleared the way for them.
II. The Destiny of the Unrighteous Dead
What happened to the first (and every person) who died without believing in God? What happened to all of the unrighteous dead? Their bodies went to the grave. Just like the bodies of the righteous. Everyone gets buried, or cremated...but they all go back to the earth somehow or another. Even people who do not receive a proper burial go back to the earth somehow; like every person who died in the great flood (read Genesis 6-8). Every person who refused to accept the call of God was left outside the ark and they drowned in the flood because they refused to accept God’s plan for their rescue and...their bodies went to the grave. But what about their souls? Their souls went to Hell, the place that was prepared for the devil (Matthew 25:41, Luke 13:25-28). Recall the account of the poor beggar named Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)? When he and the rich man died scripture says that the rich man looked across the great gulf and saw Lazarus in the bosom of Abraham (Luke 16:22ff) while the rich man was in Hell. We know where the rich man was...Hell. From the very beginning there has been a place for those who have died. Everybody that dies goes to the grave, they turn back into dust. Scripture makes it clear that the souls (minds and conscience) of the unrighteous dead go to torment in Hell. But where have the souls of the righteous dead gone? Jesus tells us on the cross.(Read Luke 23:43)
III. The Promise to All the Righteous Dead
Recall that when Christ was on the cross that one of the thieves expressed belief in Him. He is called the penitent thief because he repented (was remorseful) of his sin. Where did his body go? Just like every person who has died or will die his body went to the grave. Where did his soul, conscience, mind, and understanding go? Jesus said that He would meet him that day in “Paradise”. Paradise is where all the souls of righteous dead have gone since the death of Abel up until Jesus died on Calvary.
Why did the penitent thief not go straight to heaven? Was someone going to have to pray him out from somewhere...was he in purgatory? No, nowhere in the Bible does it say anyone goes to purgatory. It does say they go to Paradise. But again, why didn’t he go straight to Heaven? Jesus said in John 14:6 that no one can “go to the Father” except through “Him”. The way to the Father was not paved until Jesus lived His perfect life, died as the perfect sacrifice, rose as the Victor over death, and ascended to heaven to cover our sins with His blood. That is today’s scripture ... He ascended to the Father!
When Jesus died where did they put his body? In the tomb (the grave) and it stayed there from Friday until Sunday morning. Where did His spirit go? Scripture says He went to Paradise (Luke 23:43) then Ephesians 4:8-10 says he then descended (for what purpose) to rightfully claim the keys to Hell and death (Revelation 1:18). Since He is now the rightful owner of those keys He offers them as a free gift to escape Hell and the 2nd death. Satan thought he had won at Christ’s death, but it was God’s plan all along to use Jesus’ death as the payment for all sin ... thus the crucifixion of Christ became the death toll for Satan!
After Jesus descended and took the keys, He then returned to the grave, retook His body, and rose again! He appeared to the Marys, then in full bodily form, ascended to the Father and poured His blood on the judgment seat. Now here is a really cool fact. When He ascended ... He took all righteous dead with Him. He released all the righteous souls from the beginning of time and brought them with Him to heaven! Eph 4:8 says, “When He ascended on High He led the captives in His train”. Jesus took all those in paradise with Him. Why could they go to Heaven and the Father now? Because Jesus had now prepared the way! From that day we could say with the Apostle Paul, “to be absent from body is to be present with the Lord.”
IV. When Christ Returns (John 14:1-3)
When Jesus Christ returns, He will bring the souls of all the righteous with Him for a bodily resurrection. Read 1 Thessalonians 18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-58. They will reunite with their bodies, pulled together from wherever they are. Those believers who are still alive on the earth will then meet Him in the air ...Whoooo-hoooooo! Now that friends is going to be a time of celebration!
None of this would be possible if Christ had not conquered death and risen from the grave, if he had not ascended to the Father, if he had not offered His blood as atonement for our sin, and if he had not turned the Judgment seat into a mercy seat.
I believe when we get to heaven and walk up to Christ at that mercy seat we will see the blood that was poured out for our sin. We will realize and be reminded of the full price that Jesus Christ paid for us on earth. I believe that the blood stain will be there for all eternity as a testimony of the price he paid for us!
Closing: What Happens When You die?
The body goes to the grave. Your soul will immediately go to either heaven to be with Christ or be separated forever from God in Hell. But where your body, mind and spirit spend eternity is up to you and the decisions you make while you are in this life. Your way to heaven was paid for by Jesus Christ by His perfect life, death on the cross, and victory over death. Whether you spend eternity in a glorified body in heaven or whether you spend eternity suffering in flames ... the choice is up to you.
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If you have more questions about eternal life, salvation through Jesus Christ, or about GracePoint Fellowship Baptist Church please visit our website (www.thegracepointfellowship.com) and go to the sidebar listing "How to be Saved" or contact me, Bro. Gary Ladd (GracePoint pastor) by email at (
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